Treks and Tangents
Treks and Tangents is a weekly Star Trek watch-along podcast exploring the franchise one episode, and eventually one movie, at a time.Jaci is experiencing Star Trek with fresh eyes, while Brian brings the longtime-fan perspective. Together they recap each story, compare first impressions, dig into the characters and ideas, chase plenty of tangents, share trivia, and rank what they watch along the way.They’re currently working through Star Trek: The Original Series, with more Star Trek series and films ahead.Whether you know every transporter malfunction by heart or you're discovering the final frontier for the first time, jo...
Beyond the Farthest Star (Star Trek TAS S1E01) – Animated Detours Special
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
We're taking a little detour tangent this week! Brian and Jaci are opening the archives to share their very first "Animated Detours" adventure, normally reserved for Patreon Crew Members!
In "Beyond the Farthest Star" (TAS S1E01), the Enterprise encounters a mysterious ancient alien spacecraft, a sinister presence, and the realization that even animated Star Trek can't escape the occasional cosmic nightmare. Join our resident Trek expert and wide-eyed newbie as they boldly venture into the wonderfully weird world of Star Trek: The Animated Series, where t...
The Ultimate Computer (Star Trek TOS S2E24)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
In "The Ultimate Computer", the Enterprise gets a new supercomputer that can replace Captain Kirk. What could possibly go wrong? Brian and Jaci tackle rogue AI, Spock's computer crush, Kirk's bruised ego, and Dr. Daystrom's dangerously dysfunctional creation. Between deadly war games, McCoy's liquid therapy, and a surprisingly timely debate about automation, this 1968 episode feels a little too familiar in 2026!
Would you trust an AI to command the Enterprise, or are you keeping Kirk in the captain's chair? Tell us in the comments!<...
The Omega Glory (Star Trek TOS S2E23)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
A mysterious starship full of powdered crew members, a rogue captain chasing immortality, and... the United States Constitution? This week, Brian and Jaci tackle "The Omega Glory", an episode that starts with an intriguing sci-fi mystery and somehow ends in a full-blown patriotic pageant. Jaci's prediction of a Starfleet fraternity turns out to be wildly inaccurate (and possibly a better script), while Brian struggles to understand how one episode can jump the shark quite so many times. Between Captain Tracy's dramatic entrances, Spock's hilariously unhelpful fight...
By Any Other Name (Star Trek TOS S2E22)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
This week, Jaci and Brian break down “By Any Other Name,” from geometric “stone Tribbles” and Spock’s expert-level jealousy trolling to Kirk weaponizing romance and Scotty attempting to save the Enterprise one drink at a time. Is “Operation Stimulate the Senses” brilliant Starfleet strategy, or just the weirdest party plan in the galaxy?
If you suddenly became human for the first time, which human experience would derail you fastest: food, booze, anger, or romance? Let us know in the comments!
Support the...
Patterns of Force (Star Trek TOS S2E21)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
This week, Brian and Jaci tackle “Patterns of Force”, an episode with a straightforward adventure wrapped around some very uncomfortable history. Between Kirk and Spock going undercover, a conveniently useful new implant, and a historian whose grand experiment has gone catastrophically wrong, there’s plenty to unpack.
They dig into the episode’s questionable logic, its last-minute rush to explain everything, the parallels to "A Piece of the Action", and whether the story actually succeeds at exploring the ideas it sets out to confr...
Return to Tomorrow (Star Trek TOS S2E20)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
"Return to Tomorrow" gives Brian and Jaci plenty to dig into: mysterious glowing orbs, body-swapping aliens, surprisingly romantic sci-fi, Leonard Nimoy getting to cut loose as Henoch, and Nurse Chapel quietly becoming one of the episode’s biggest heroes.
They break down the episode’s strong camera work, Kirk’s argument for taking risks in the name of exploration, Sargon and Thalassa’s doomed romance, and the increasingly shaky science as the final minutes spiral into pure TOS chaos. Despite the plot holes, there’s a lot he...
A Private Little War (Star Trek TOS S2E19)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
Things get messy fast in “A Private Little War” as Brian and Jaci tackle Mugatus, Klingon gunrunning, and an episode that seems determined to start five different plotlines before figuring out what to do with any of them. Along the way, there’s plenty of debate over the Prime Directive, Nona’s extremely unsettling methods, and whether this “Garden of Eden” was ever particularly Eden-like in the first place.
Despite the chaos, the episode gives us some surprisingly strong character moments, a not-so-subtle Vietnam War analogy...
The Immunity Syndrome (Star Trek TOS - S2E18)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
It’s the 50th episode of Treks and Tangents, and naturally we’re celebrating with… a gigantic space amoeba, an exhausted Enterprise crew, and an alarming amount of stimulants to test everyone’s patience. In “The Immunity Syndrome,” Brian and Jaci dive into Spock’s mysterious connection to the doomed Intrepid, Kirk’s questionable shuttlecraft plan, and the continuing mystery of why poor Kyle suddenly became “Coyle.”
Is this a clever old-school sci-fi adventure hiding inside a budget-saving bottle episode? Or is the giant space amoeb...
A Piece of the Action (Star Trek TOS - S2E17)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
This week on Treks and Tangents, "A Piece of the Action" sends Kirk, Spock, and McCoy into a planet-sized 1920s mobster convention, all thanks to one very influential book. Brian and Jaci talk Tommy guns, fuzzy hats, Kirk’s increasingly questionable gangster impression, the completely made-up rules of Fizbin, and whether the Enterprise crew actually fixed anything… or just became the newest crime syndicate in town.
There are kidnappings, concrete galoshes, four Vulcan nerve pinches, and enough mob slang to leave Scotty thoroughly confused.
...
The Gamesters of Triskelion (Star Trek TOS - S2E16)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
Brian and Jaci enter the brightly colored, triangle-obsessed chaos of “The Gamesters of Triskelion,” where apparently the Hunger Games, Squid Game, and a 1960s costume department all collided at once. Along the way, there’s terrible fight choreography, mysterious floating brains, Kirk weaponizing romance yet again, and an unexpected campaign for #JusticeForTamoon.
Is this cheesy gladiator spectacle secretly fun, or does it deserve its place firmly in the Ensign ranks? Let us know in the comments!
[End Transmission]
S...
The Trouble with Tribbles (Star Trek TOS - S2E15)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
This week, we finally meet one of Star Trek’s cutest, and unofficial podcast mascot, icons in “The Trouble with Tribbles.” We talk about why the episode’s humor works so well, Kirk getting buried alive in Tribbles, and whether Cyrano Jones would have been even better if he were Harry Mudd.
Between a barroom brawl, Klingon sabotage, and enough Tribbles to make pest control simply give up: this one earns its reputation as a TOS classic.
But we want to know: If you...
Wolf in the Fold (Star Trek TOS - S2E14)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
On this episode of Treks and Tangents, Brian and Jaci take on "Wolf in the Fold". Scotty becomes the prime suspect in a string of murders on Argelius II, leading to séances, lie detectors, Jack the Ripper, a fear-feeding entity, and more plot holes than we know what to do with.
It’s a murder mystery that quickly turns into full-on sci-fi chaos.
Did “Wolf in the Fold” work for you, or were there too many plot holes to ignore? Let us k...
Obsession (Star Trek TOS - S2E13)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
In this episode of Treks and Tangents, Brian and Jaci tackle Star Trek: The Original Series episode Obsession. When a deadly cloud creature resurfaces from Kirk’s past, the captain turns into spacefaring Captain Ahab: ignoring a vital medical mission, snapping at his officers, and dragging the Enterprise into a personal hunt fueled by guilt and revenge. Meanwhile, Spock and McCoy attempt an intervention, Ensign Garrovick gets caught in Kirk’s emotional crossfire, and everyone spends an alarming amount of time asking: “Do you smell honey?”
We b...
The Deadly Years (Star Trek TOS - S2E12)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
This week on Treks and Tangents, we revisit The Deadly Years, where a routine mission leaves Kirk and several senior officers aging decades by the day... but Chekov somehow escapes with little more than an exhausting series of medical tests.
They discuss the cheesy rapid-aging premise, questionable makeup, Kirk’s drawn-out competency hearing, and Commodore Stocker’s disastrous decision to enter the Romulan Neutral Zone.
Is there a strong sci-fi story beneath the wrinkles, or should this episode have been put out t...
Friday's Child (Star Trek TOS - S2E11)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
This week on Treks and Tangents, we’re trekking through Friday’s Child, where the Enterprise arrives on Capella IV to negotiate for valuable minerals and instead finds a Klingon rival, a deadly coup, a pregnant leader’s widow, and enough running through rocky terrain to qualify as a Starfleet fitness test.
McCoy finally gets a chance to shine... though mostly as an unwilling obstetrician and accidental baby daddy, while Kirk and Spock build primitive weapons, Scotty chases fake distress calls, and everyone struggles with C...
Journey to Babel (Star Trek TOS - S2E10)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
In this episode of Treks and Tangents, we take on Journey to Babel, an episode packed with diplomacy, family drama, murder mystery, medical crisis, and a suspicious little ship causing big problems.
Spock’s parents, Sarek and Amanda, arrive aboard the Enterprise, giving everyone a front-row seat to Vulcan family tension, finger-touch affection, and Spock’s struggle between duty and family.
We break down why this episode matters to Star Trek history, from the debut of Sarek and Amanda to the first appe...
Metamorphosis (Star Trek TOS - S2E09)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
In this episode of Treks and Tangents, Brian and Jaci beam into Metamorphosis, an episode full of purple rocks, a lovesick lava lamp, one very grumpy commissioner, and the surprisingly awkward introduction of warp-drive legend Zefram Cochrane.
Jaci finds the romance unexpectedly sweet, Brian finds approximately seven thousand plot holes in an asteroid belt, and together they debate whether the Companion is truly in love, just very attached, or accidentally running the galaxy’s strangest retirement plan.
What did you think of thi...
I, Mudd (Star Trek TOS - S2E08)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
Treks and Tangents beams down for “I, Mudd,” where Harry Mudd returns with a throne, a planet full of obedient androids, and somehow still manages to become a prisoner of his own nonsense. Brian and Jaci break down the duplicate Alices, Norman’s very inconvenient Enterprise takeover, Mudd’s questionable leadership skills, and the crew’s grand escape strategy: weaponized improv, fake instruments, imaginary explosions, and enough illogical behavior to make every android on the planet beg for a software update. It’s silly, fast-paced, and very much St...
Catspaw (Star Trek TOS - S2E07)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
It’s just a jump to the left… and somehow Star Trek wandered straight into a low-budget Rocky Horror fever dream. This week on Treks and Tangents, Brian and Jaci explore Catspaw, an episode packed with black cats, haunted castles, mysterious aliens, and enough Halloween decorations to make Frank-N-Furter feel right at home. Brian makes his case that Korob and Sylvia are basically the galaxy’s discount Riff Raff and Magenta, while Jaci tries to figure out why every spooky prop in the universe ended up on one...
The Doomsday Machine (Star Trek TOS - S2E06)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
The Doomsday Machine might be one of Star Trek's greatest examples of a bad day getting steadily worse. A giant planet-eating space cornucopia is chewing its way through solar systems, the Enterprise keeps getting battered around like a shuttlecraft in a washing machine, and Commodore Decker is one emotional breakdown away from replacing the ship’s operating manual with a copy of Moby-Dick. Meanwhile, Scotty is asked to perform approximately seventeen miracles before lunch.
In this episode of Treks and Tangents, Brian and Jaci di...
The Apple (Star Trek TOS - S2E05)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
On this week's episode of Treks and Tangents, Brian and Jaci beam down to The Apple and discover a planet that looks like paradise but is somehow packed with killer flowers, exploding rocks, weather-based murder, and a giant dragon-headed machine that runs on fruit. Naturally, the Enterprise crew immediately decides this is a great place to take a relaxing vacation.
Along the way, we debate whether Vaal is a god, a computer, or just the galaxy's most demanding produce-powered appliance. We also tackle the...
The Changeling (Star Trek TOS - S2E03)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
This week on Treks and Tangents, our co-hosts tackle “The Changeling”, an episode featuring a homicidal floating space probe that somehow convinces Kirk to invite it aboard the Enterprise after it wipes out four billion people. What follows is a chaotic mess of bad science, killer robot logic, exploding computers, and Kirk desperately trying to out-argue what might be the galaxy’s angriest Roomba.
Along the way, the crew debates whether Nomad is terrifying or just deeply confused, questions why the Enterprise security team keeps...
Mirror Mirror (Star Trek TOS - S2E04)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
In this week's episode of Treks and Tangents, we're stepping through the transporter and into the Mirror Universe for Star Trek: The Original Series' iconic episode, Mirror, Mirror. What happens when Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, and Uhura find themselves aboard an Enterprise where promotions are earned through murder, loyalty is optional, and everyone seems way too comfortable carrying knives?
Join Brian and Jaci as they dive into evil Spock's beard, Sulu's surprisingly ambitious career plans, Kirk's struggle to survive in a universe full of...
Who Mourns for Adonais? (Star Trek TOS - S2E02)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
Apollo’s got abs, a lightning machine, and the emotional stability of a guy who just got left on read.
This week on Treks and Tangents, our co-hosts tackle Who Mourns for Adonais?; the episode where the Enterprise gets grabbed by a giant glowing green hand and held hostage by a Space Greek God.
Between Scotty getting repeatedly electrocuted over his crush, Lieutenant Palamas falling for the galaxy’s shiniest red flag, and Kirk refusing to gather even a single ceremonial leaf, the crew debat...
Amok Time (Star Trek TOS - S2E01)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
Spock is dying.
The cure?
Apparently: getting married and fighting Kirk with a giant Vulcan salad fork.
This week on Treks and Tangents, we dive into Amok Time: the episode where Vulcan mating rituals somehow involve desert death matches, psychic engagement bonds, and absolutely zero emotional communication. Honestly, the Vulcans could have solved half their problems with one awkward conversation.
We discuss:
• Vulcan marriage customs making less sense the longer you think about them
• Kirk dramatically risk...
Operation -- Annihilate! (Star Trek TOS - S1E30)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
On this episode Treks and Tangents, we break down Operation -- Annihilate!. Also known as the episode where Star Trek decided, “What if the villains were just… really gross?”
These flying brain parasites look like someone weaponized spoiled jellyfish, and somehow they only get worse the closer you look.
Kirk’s racing to save a planet, Spock volunteers for a very questionable science experiment, and meanwhile… Sam Kirk gets the most casual send-off in Starfleet history: left behind in his lab like he’s just...
The City on the Edge of Forever (Star Trek TOS - S1E29)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
Widely regarded as the highest-rated episode of The Original Series, The City on the Edge of Forever shows Star Trek at its absolute peak.
In this episode, we break down why this story stands above the rest; combining time travel, emotional depth, and one of the most devastating choices ever faced by James T. Kirk. Alongside him, Spock navigates a situation where logic can’t fully prepare you for what’s at stake... and McCoy is just trying to get that monkey off his back...
The Alternative Factor (Star Trek TOS - S1E28)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
When one of the most confusing episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series collides with a podcast that refuses to let nonsense slide… you get this.
This week on Treks and Tangents, we dive headfirst into The Alternative Factor: an episode infamous among fans for its chaotic plot, baffling science, and a villain who may (or may not?) be fighting… himself? In another universe? Maybe?
We attempt to untangle the dual-Lazarus dilemma, question every editing choice ever made, and ask the ultimate ques...
Errand of Mercy (Star Trek TOS - S1E27)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
Kirk and Spock beam down expecting a war zone… and instead get the calmest, creepiest planet in the galaxy.
In this episode of Treks and Tangents, we break down Errand of Mercy—from the Organians’ suspiciously chill attitude to that very unsettling door that just… opens and closes on its own like it knows something we don’t.
Is it hospitality? Is it surveillance? Is it judging you?
Plus: Klingons arrive, tensions rise, and the “simple villagers” might be playing a much bigger ga...
The Devil in the Dark (Star Trek TOS - S1E26)
Send us Fan Mail
[Haling Frequencies Open]
Here’s a short, funny episode preview pulled from your episode’s tone and moments:
A mining colony calls for help after something starts turning workers into crispy space dust… and Kirk immediately declares war on what might just be a very angry lava lasagna.
Meanwhile, Spock is fascinated by some suspiciously bouncy “rocks,” McCoy refuses to become a space veterinarian, and the crew slowly realizes the “monster” might just be a stressed-out single mom protecting her eggs.
It’s phasers, philosophy, and one very awkward...
Surprise Bonus Episode (April Fools' - 2026)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
That's right, today is April Fools' Day! What better way to celebrate than with a bonus episode. Something familiar, but a little different. Something goofy, yet something still enjoyable. Something... well, we don't want to spoil the surprise.
Join us as we explore a movie from the past that maybe you've seen too many times like co-host Jaci has, maybe something you can barely remember the details to like co-host Brian can't... but hopefully something fun.
One hint? Ok... "Put the tribble in the b...
This Side of Paradise (Star Trek TOS - S1E25)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
And we got really hot,
when we saw Mr. Spock,
fight a triffid that spits poison and thrills.
This week on Treks and Tangents we cover This Side of Paradise: when the Enterprise crew beams down to a planet where stress, rules, and Starfleet discipline mysteriously disappear, things get very un-Starfleet very fast. Smiles all around, productivity at zero, and Spock?? Laughing?!
Is this paradise… or the galaxy’s most suspicious group vacation?
Kirk’s got one job: ruin everyo...
A Taste of Armageddon (Star Trek TOS - S1E24)
Send us Fan Mail
In this episode of Treks and Tangents, we step into the world of A Taste of Armageddon where war is neat, tidy… and somehow even worse. When entire populations politely report for scheduled disintegration, Kirk decides maybe this whole “civilized war” thing needs a serious reboot.
We break down the logic of weaponized spreadsheets, question the efficiency of voluntary vaporization, and ask: is this the most organized apocalypse ever?
It’s Star Trek meets corporate policy… with a body count.
Support the show
Treks and...
Space Seed (Star Trek TOS - S1E23)
Send us Fan Mail
This week on Treks and Tangents, the Enterprise accidentally unthaws one of Earth’s greatest historical mistakes: Khan and his Golden Underwear Gang. Khan quickly proves that waking up ancient super-dictators might not have been Starfleet’s best idea.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Marla McGivers discovers she has a surprising weakness for strong jawlines and ambitious warlords.
Join us as we talk superhumans, questionable Starfleet decision-making, Marla's weakness for strong jawlines, and the episode that plants the very dramatic seeds of one of Star Trek’s greatest rivalries.
Support the sho...
The Return of the Archons (Star Trek TOS - S1E22)
Send us Fan Mail
Join us as we jump through the plot holes of The Return of the Archons and explore one of Trek’s earliest deep dives into authoritarian “utopias,” creepy hooded enforcers, and a Red Hour Festival so lively, it's a riot!
Support the show
Treks and Tangents - A Star Trek Watchalong Podcast
Patreon: Patreon.com/TreksAndTangents
X: X.com/Treks_Tangents
Instagram: Instagram.com/TreksAndTangents
BlueSky: TreksAndTangents.bsky.social
Co-Host Jaci
Instagram: Instagram.com/Jibboom
WhatNot...
Court Martial (Star Trek TOS - S1E21)
Send us Fan Mail
When Captain Kirk is hauled into a Starfleet courtroom for allegedly leaving a crewman to die, things get tense faster than a redshirt on an away mission.
This week on Treks and Tangents, we dive into Court Martial, the episode where Kirk swaps his captain’s chair for the defendant’s chair. There’s dramatic testimony, suspicious computer records, and at least one moment where you can practically hear Bones muttering, “I’m a doctor, not a lawyer.”
Is Kirk guilty? Is the Enterprise haunted by bad data? And ho...
Tomorrow is Yesterday (Star Trek TOS - S1E20)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
What happens when the Enterprise accidentally slingshots itself straight into 1960s Earth… and suddenly we’re the aliens?
This week we dive into “Tomorrow Is Yesterday”, where Captain Kirk and crew become the very thing conspiracy theorists warned us about: mysterious lights in the sky, disappearing pilots, and even little green men!
If you’ve ever looked at a grainy UFO photo and thought, “That might be the Enterprise...”, then this episode is for you!
[End Transmission]
Support the show
Arena (Star Trek TOS - S1E19)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
This week on Treks and Tangents, we step into the rocky wasteland of Arena from The Original Series. It’s fists, homemade cannons, questionable chemistry skills, and the slowest lizard in the galaxy. Grab a bamboo tube and watch this story of the Tortoise Gorn and the Hare Captain!
[End Transmission]
Support the show
Treks and Tangents - A Star Trek Watchalong Podcast
Patreon: Patreon.com/TreksAndTangents
X: X.com/Treks_Tangents
Instagram: Instagram.com/Tr...
The Squire of Gothos (Star Trek TOS - S1E18)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
Greetings and felicitations!
Quite the quirky, quizzical quadrant of Treks and Tangents this week, as we quietly queue up questions, quandaries, and quality commentary from the episode "The Squire of Gothos". Quirky characters, questionable choices, and quintessentially Trek tech collide while we quiz the episode’s quiet tensions, quick reversals, and quasi-philosophical twists.
Queue it up, grab a questionable beverage, and join us for a quippy, quotable, quality-controlled conversation that proves Star Trek remains endlessly quotable, occasionally questionable, and always worth the que...
The Galileo Seven (Star Trek TOS - S1E17)
Send us Fan Mail
[Hailing Frequencies Open]
This week on Treks and Tangents, we divert to explore the episode "The Galileo Seven". We discuss how a stupid decision to send the top members of your crew out to explore a space quasar in a tin can will always lead to disaster. Join us as we dodge giant spears made of pool noodles and learn how Spock logically plots out steps for weight loss.
[End Transmission]
Support the show
Treks and Tangents - A Star Trek Watchalong Podcast<...
